


Didn’t We Love?

by MsGordo_Writings



Series: Songfic Series [4]
Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-19 06:07:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22473043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsGordo_Writings/pseuds/MsGordo_Writings
Summary: Sequel to ‘She Only Gets That Way With Me’
Relationships: Angel/Cordelia Chase, Connor (AtS)/Dawn Summers, Spike/Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg/Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Series: Songfic Series [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1616902
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work belongs to MsGordo (https://archiveofourown.org/users/kipplemine/profile) and has been posted with her express permission in order to preserve it from Yahoo Groups. If I have missed any tags or warnings, please feel free to let me know.

Title: Didn’t We Love? (1/3)  
Author: Karen  
Pairing: Wesley/Willow some refs A/C, S/B, A/X, D/C, W/T.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. All characters that do not appear in the shows or in the comics and novels are mine the rest belong to the almighty Mr Whedon. The story’s mine too!  
Synopsis: Sequel to ‘She Only Gets That Way With Me’  
Rating: PG 13  
Spoilers: Set Xmas Season Seven, so some.  
Feedback: Yes, please.   
Author’s note: Ok, I thought and thought and then I nearly died when I opened my mailbox and counted fifty-three, count ‘em FIFTY-THREE, suggestions for a W/W song. So, I’m giving in and I’m writing the fic obviously a lot of people want to see. Just a few points worth bearing in mind, I’ve never been a Wesley ‘shipper in ANY way apart from A/G/W when the Mad Poetess does it (cuz she does it SO well) and, as such, am finding my way when it comes to writing him as anything but a secondary character. Second point, I’ve never written Willow that well and, again, it’s a whole different ball game (snigger, snigger!) writing her as a primary, het character. Third, this is NOT an NC17 fic. I really appreciate all the positive feedback on the scene between Angel and Cordy but I really don’t think I’m cut out to write that way and it’s extraordinarily difficult to do well. That said I have NO objection to reading (and thoroughly enjoying) that level of fic. MEL, take the hint. More please!!! Last point (because I’m boring myself now) all of the songs suggested were great and I appreciate the thoughts but I finally decided on two that basically gave me the idea for the story. Jessica’s inspired choice of ‘Didn’t We Love’ by Tamara Walker and Shakira’s ‘Underneath Your Clothes’ as suggested by Carlo. Thanks for the amazing interest in the short fics but this is DEFINITELY the last as I think my beta is officially not speaking to me and I really have to crack on with my two series’ and finish them this side of the world ending. 

Dedications: Ina, for smiling even when the other sequel wasn’t the above. And sending nice words anyway. Mel, for practically doing the happy dance out of my pc when she got her hands on my first NC17. Jen, still love and need you! I promise no more playing away; from now on I will devote myself morning, noon and night to ‘Lockdown’ and ‘OTNH’. Good little scribbler that’s me! Not distracto girl any more. Completely focused. Ahem. Although I did have this one idea………JOKE!!

Part 1.

Buffy stood back and grinned at the immense Christmas tree before her and adjusted the hand of a shiny gold bauble

“Perfect. Now all we need is a fairy and we’re done.”

Spike looked up from where he sat by Dawn making paper chains

“That’s a nice idea, love, but I don’t think the green one’ll be too happy about sitting with a branch up his bum for the next twelve days.”

Dawn giggled as Buffy swung round and narrowed her eyes at her lover and Lorne turned from where he was threading tinsel through the banisters on the stairs

“Hey!”

The blonde vampire smirked

“No offence, mate”

Lorne huffed and returned to his creative arrangement as Buffy joined her sister and lover at the table, taking the opportunity to smack him upside the head as she sat down

“Play nice, Spike”

He lifted one eye brow in an arrogant sneer, slightly ruining the effect when he failed to realise he had a long train of glitter down his face

“Or what ducks?”

Buffy gave a smug grin of her own

“Or I won’t. For a very, very long time.”

Dawn giggled as Spike looked panicked for a moment and then leaned across to nuzzle into his love’s neck. Buffy rubbed her cheek against his hair and caught her sister’s eye

“What are you grinning about? You’re way to young to get that. Lick and stick, girlie! Lick and stick!”

Spike snorted and Buffy rolled her eyes

“Jeez, Spike, come out of the gutter once in a while won’t ya?”

He raised innocent blue eyes to hers 

“What?”

Buffy scowled at him and planted a pink strip of paper on the end of his nose

“Just make with the paper chains.” 

He leered at her and waggled suggestive eyebrows 

“I’d rather play with the real thing.”

Buffy was saved from answering him when Dawn scrunched up her nose

“Eeeww. You know, guys, there are still some things I’m too young to hear.”

Spike blinked and nodded abruptly

“Quite right ‘Bit. An’ if I have my way you always will be.”

Dawn looked at her sister and the two girls rolled their eyes in unison at the vampire’s firm tone. Buffy winked and said dryly

“In fact, Dawn, when we get home I’m thinking of taking you out of Sunnydale High and putting you in the all girls school across town. The one with the really high walls and big, iron gates.” 

Spike looked interested 

“Will they take her at that short notice? You should ring them, Slayer. Might not have any places.”

Even Buffy looked appalled at the seriousness of his tone

“For god’s sake, Spike, I was joking!”

The two girls shoved away from the table and stalked off in high dudgeon ignoring the shout behind them

“It’s an option that’s all I’m sayin’! Somethin’ to think on, like.”

He winced as the door to the office crashed shut behind the pair and looked up as Angel wandered over laughing

“Nice job. Really. You rule as a parent.”

Spike scowled 

“Vampires who live in glass houses shouldn’t go heaving bloody great boulders around, mate.”

Angel frowned in turn

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Spike grinned, slightly happier now he’d managed to get a rise out of the other vampire. No day was complete without Angel being aggrieved or offended by a ‘Spikeism’ 

“Just pointing out you’re not exactly batting a thousand in the fatherhood department yourself. Still a bit sticky on the whole fatherly advice bit, now, aren’t ya?”  
“I do just fine. Connor and I have a strong relationship.”

Spike smirked 

“That explains the whole leavin’ you to rot at the bottom of the ocean for three months then.”

Angel scowled

“That was a misunderstanding. And I don’t see Dawn falling over herself acknowledge you as her ‘father’.”

Spike grinned complacently

“’Bit knows who her Dad is alright. I helped raise her from day one didn’t I? More than you can say.”

Angel opened his mouth to retort but Cordelia chose that moment to descend the stairs. His lips stretched in a goofy grin as he watched her walk carefully down the stairs, moving slightly more stiffly than usual

“Hi.”

The seer grinned at him

“Hey.”

She accepted his kiss on the cheek and moved away before he could try and capture her lips and go for broke

“Have we had any jobs come in?”

Angel trailed after her watching the seat of her pants tighten as she bent with a slight wince and retrieved her bag from under her desk

“Nope, all clear on the western front.”

He cleared his throat and said casually

“You could probably go back to bed for a while if you wanted. In fact, I’m feeling kinda tired, I might join you.”

Cordelia smiled and sent a knowing look over her shoulder as he stretched and yawned ostentatiously 

“Nice try, Horny Boy. I’m having enough trouble walking as it is after last night, thanks, there’s damn all chance of a morning quickie for you, hon. Besides I‘m going out with Willow, Wes and Dawn to finish off the Xmas shopping.”

Angel’s face fell

“You are?”

Cordelia laughed at the crestfallen look on his face

“Uh-huh. I need some recovery time, buster. We aren’t all creatures of the night, you know.”

Angel smirked as she winced when she turned to brush past him and snagged her waist to bring him up against him

“I could take a look at you, make sure there’s no lasting damage. You should probably put your feet up.”

Cordelia snorted in amusement as he began to nuzzle her neck and shivered as her body abruptly woke up and decided it wasn’t THAT tired after all

“Yes, Angel, I should put my feet up. I’m fairly sure that I should be putting them up on a footstool and not on your shoulders. Kinda defeating the object, hon.”

Angel giggled, actually giggled, against her neck

“I don’t know I bet I could relax you……”

He broke off as the inner office door swung open and Dawn walked out only to come to a disgusted halt as she saw the two of them wrapped round each other

“God, you guys! There’s like a thousand rooms upstairs, go use one of them.”

She marched past them looking disgusted and carried on through the lobby and up the stairs completely ignoring Spike. Buffy followed her out and grinned at her friends

“Teenage smoochie frustration. Nothing like it.”

Her eyebrow lifted as she watched Cordelia stiffly move away from Angel

“Good night last night?”

“Buffy!”

Angel and Cordelia spoke horrified unison. Buffy grinned at their mortified faces and slipped an arm round Spike’s waist as he stalked to her side

“What? Hello, also dating a vampire? I recognise the signs, believe me.”

She shared a smug smile with her lover and then giggled as he puffed up with pride at her words

“What can I say, love? Once you taste a little vamp lovin’ you never go back.”  
“Like I’d have the strength to walk anywhere after a night with you.”

She brushed her lips over his and laughed again as Cordelia muttered

“I know the feeling.”

Angel felt the goofy grin on his face again and caught Spike’s eye. The blonde vampire leered at him

“Looks like you’ve improved, mate.”

The grin fell from his face and his eyes narrowed 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Buffy rolled her eyes and moved to Cordelia’s side

“Here we go. I’m going off to pick Giles and Olivia up from the airport, wanna come?”

Cordelia slung her bag over her shoulder and marched past the two vampires, deftly dipping her hand into Angel’s pants pocket and stealing his car keys

“Nope, going shopping with Will, Wes and Dawn.”

Buffy nodded 

“Ok, get some cash off Spike before you go. He owes Dawn some allowance money.”

She waved over her shoulder as she went out the front door and Cordelia turned to the stairs and bumped straight into Wesley

“Oooof. Wesley!”

He blinked as he lifted his eyes from the book he carried and said distractedly

“What? Oh, sorry Cordy.”

He made to step around her and exclaimed in outrage as she snatched the book from his hands and tossed it over her shoulder

“What are you doing? That book is incredibly deli……”

Cordelia rolled her eyes and spun him around, shoving him towards the stairs

“Yeah, yeah I know. Old, priceless, holds the fate of the world in its incredibly stinky pages; blah, blah blah.”

She took hold of his arm and propelled him up the stairs ignoring the clucking sounds he made as she left the sixteenth century text lying on the floor with it’s pages fluttering in the breeze

“Go and get a jacket and call Willow. We’re going shopping remember? Christmas two days away? And you, as usual, have had your ass buried in boring old prophecies and demon rites and done damn all about it. Go on, literary boy, go get Will while I call Dawn.”

She pushed him down the corridor leading to the rooms that the Scoobs were occupying during their stay and sailed on yelling over her shoulder

“Two minutes, Wesley, and then we’re making with the spending.”

He huffed in annoyance and then swallowed as he turned to face Willow’s door. He cleared his throat and tapped lightly on the door listening intently for her response. Seconds ticked past and he had raised his hand to knock more firmly when the door swung open and the red head stood there in nothing but sports bra and pants. Wesley’s jaw dropped and his eyes slammed shut as Willow yelped and blushed, all over as far as he could tell, and slammed the door shut in his face

“Wesley! I’m so sorry. I thought you were, Anya!”

His eyes opened cautiously and he stared at the door as her mortified voice floated through the wood

“I assure you, Willow, its absolutely fine. Please, think nothing of it. I promise I’ve already forgotten all about it.”

He swallowed again and shifted uneasily as the swollen flesh in his trousers begged to differ

“You saw me naked!”

Her agonised voice brought an unintentional smile to his lips and he said firmly

“Hardly. You were quite modestly covered. I’ve seen Cordelia wear a lot less on a trip to the beach, trust me.”  
“Oh god!”

This time his face stretched into a grin and he placed his hand on the door as he put his face close to the wood

“Willow, you’re making more of this than it is. If it helps you can see me in my bathing suit.”

Willow giggled behind the door and he felt his heart clench at the sound and then the organ jumped into his throat as an amused voice said behind him

“That’s just what every girl longs to hear.”

Wesley span around with a manly scream and saw Xander and Anya watching him with unconcealed amusement. Anya held a long golden dress on a clothes hanger and tilted her head to one side

“He is nicely shaped, Xander. Not as many bumps and muscles as you, but still nicely shaped.”

Wesley felt his skin burn a fiery red at the demon’s frank appraisal of his body and then thought his head would just go up in flames at her next words

“If I wasn’t married to you I would certainly like to see him in his bathing costume. And then without. Were you going to show Willow your body naked as well?”

Xander choked and watched as Wesley’s mouth opened and shut soundlessly as he tried for an appropriate response and then the door behind him opened for the second time and Willow, this time swaddled head to foot in a fluffy robe, appeared behind him

“There will be no viewing of anyone in bathing costumes. Ever. No fleshy parts will be shown.”

Anya looked disappointed 

“Oh, but I thought…..”

Willow glared as she felt yet another blush work its way up her neck

“No, Anya. No body parts will be shown.”

Xander stepped forward before Wesley and Willow combusted on the spot and took the dress from Anya

“Ok, Wills. We found the dress and we’re off to see my Uncle now. See you in a few hours, ‘k?”

He took Anya by the hand and pulled her down the corridor after him calling over his shoulder

“Later Wes.”

He waited until he went to turn the corner and tossed back with a big grin

“Ya big studmuffin.”

Wesley closed his eyes and grimaced

“Thank you, Xander.” 

He opened his eyes again and met Willow’s embarrassed gaze

“Cordelia asked me to come and tell you that we’re about to leave on our shopping trip.”

The slender girl nodded 

“Ok, I just need to throw my dress on. Would you like to come in and wait?”

Despite the still strong embarrassment she laughed at the look on his face

“I’ll get dressed in the bathroom, Wesley. You can sit on the couch.”

He nodded and hoped he didn’t look as stupid as he felt

“Alright.”

He followed her into the room and looked around as she disappeared into the ensuite, seeing a picture over by the bed he wandered over to look at it. A pretty blonde girl laughed at the camera as she leaned back in Willow’s arms and the other girl nuzzled her neck. Wesley felt his eyes mist as he realised this must be the lover who died and set Willow on her path to destruction a few months before. He set the frame back down on the bedside cabinet and walked over to the window as a song started up on the stereo, playing softly in the quiet of the room

Quarter moon  
Always makes me think of you  
Are you thinking of me too?  
When you see it shine

In the bathroom Willow’s hand froze as she pulled a brush through her hair and she stared sightlessly into the mirror before her

It’s kind of sad   
But I’m smiling   
Imagine that  
‘Cos we were lucky to have what we had  
If only for a time

Her eyes filled with tears as she listened to the song that Tara had given her when they had reunited the final time. The blonde girl had stammered that all that had kept her going throughout their separation had been the song and the hope that someday they might work their troubles out

Didn’t we set the nights on fire?  
Did ever a flame burn any higher?  
Wasn’t it so sweet?  
Wasn’t it?  
Didn’t we love?

Willow smiled as she thought of the time they had attempted to light a fire in Giles’ grate with the aid of witchcraft in the early days of their relationship. And Giles’ apoplectic reaction to his chimney nearly being blasted straight through the roof.

It’s ok   
Sometimes I just get this way  
I can’t forget you anyway  
I wouldn’t even try  
I’d rather fall  
Than never to have flown at all  
It was heaven after all  
If only for a time

She pressed a hand to her mouth as she thought of the last time she had seen her lover and the confused look on Tara’s face as she had fallen dead into Willow’s arms

Didn’t we set the nights on fire?  
Did ever a flame burn any higher?  
Wasn’t it so sweet?  
Wasn’t it?  
Didn’t we love?

The tears streamed as she felt again the body stiffening in her arms and the sheer rage and helplessness as the guardian of the spiritual realm refused her love another chance at life

Oh, didn’t we have it all back then  
Will I feel that way again?

She flinched as she heard Wesley call from the other room and took a deep breath before answering him

“Ok, Wes. Just coming.”

Didn’t we set the nights on fire?  
Did ever a flame burn any higher?  
Wasn’t it so sweet?  
Wasn’t it?  
Didn’t we love?

She dashed the tears from her eyes and quickly splashed a little cold water on her face. She gripped the edge of the basin and stared into her lost emerald eyes for a moment and then with a brisk shake of her head turned and left the bathroom

“Ok, ready to go and unleash Dawn and Cordelia on LA?”

Wesley chuckled and hid his reaction to her slim body encased in the long form fitting dress. The colour complemented her fiery hair and he sniffed the air as she passed him leaving a scent of wildflowers and meadows in the air. He glanced back at the picture beside her bed and followed her out the door, shutting it quietly behind him.

Isn’t it bitter sweet?  
Isn’t it?  
Didn’t we love?

End Part 1.

Song: Didn’t We Love?  
Artist: Tamara Walker  
Album: Unknown.

And, yes, I know there wasn’t much W/W action in this ep but bear with me. I’m working up to it slowly!


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Didn’t We Love? (2/3)  
Author: Karen  
Pairing: Wesley/Willow some refs A/C, S/B, A/X, D/C, W/T.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. All characters that do not appear in the shows or in the comics and novels are mine the rest belong to the almighty Mr Whedon. The story’s mine too!  
Synopsis: Sequel to ‘She Only Gets That Way With Me’  
Rating: PG 13  
Spoilers: Set Xmas Season Seven, so some.  
Feedback: Yes, please. 

Dedications: Ina, for smiling even when the other sequel wasn’t the above. And sending nice words anyway. Mel, for practically doing the happy dance out of my pc when she got her hands on my first NC17. Jen, still love and need you! I promise no more playing away; from now on I will devote myself morning, noon and night to ‘Lockdown’ and ‘OTNH’. Good little scribbler that’s me! Not distracto girl any more. Completely focused. Ahem. Although I did have this one idea………JOKE!!

Part 2.

It was silent in the hotel when as two of the most feared vampires in history worked side by side to defeat their latest enemy

“Duck!”

Angel obligingly followed his partner’s instructions and Spike lunged forward to slam the thin piece of transparent material in his hands against their opponent’s throat. He stood back and looked at his handiwork as it hung from the wall

“There, you bastard. Fixed you good and proper.”

Angel climbed to his feet and joined Spike as he eyed the wall keenly

“Put up more of a fight than I thought.”

Spike nodded 

“Bastard. We got him though.”

Angel tilted his head to one side and said slowly

“Not sure he’s straight.”

Both vampires studied the six-foot Father Christmas that beamed rather happily on the wall considering William The Bloody had just garrotted him with sticky tape. Spike shook his head impatiently

“Bugger it. The Slayer wants it re hung she can bloody well get off her lazy arse and do it herself.”

Angel sniggered 

“You aren’t fooling anyone with that tone you know. We all know you’re Buffy-whipped.”  
“Am not!”

Angel walked off shaking his head in mock sorrow

“To think its come to this. William The Bloody brought low by a woman.”

Spike snarled and leapt on Angel’s back as the taller vampire laughed

“Git! You take that back!”

They rolled across the lobby floor swearing and fighting only stopping when a pair of plus fours hoved into view and a dry voice said

“Please don’t let me interrupt. I’ll mosey back later with information on the mass slaughter and carnage planned for this evening.”

The two demons on the floor froze and looked up slowly to see amused red eyes looking down at them and a nervous human man peering over Lorne’s shoulder. The demon motioned with his head at the man behind him

“This is Bret. He’s got an interesting little tale to tell.”

Angel pushed Spike off him and brushed down his dusty pants

“Sorry about that. Welcome to Angel Investigations, we help the helpless. How can we help you?”

Spike rolled his eyes and jumped lithely to his feet

“Ignore the two fairies mate. What’s up and how many demons are there to kill?”

Angel and Lorne both scowled at the blonde but moved their attention to the human as he stuttered

“They’re going to die. All of them. The demons, vampires, have been collecting for weeks and they’re going to kill all of them.”

Spike glanced at Angel and then moved forward and took the man’s trembling arm, guiding him to the seating in the middle of the lobby

“Are they now? Tell you what mate, you tell ol’ Spike everything you know and then me and the poof there will go and sort it all out, how’s that?”

The man looked uncertainly up at the hard face beaming at him and then back at the other vampire and the green demon. Spike nodded encouragement and slowly the man began to speak.

There was a long silence when he finished and Spike and Angel exchanged a long thoughtful look. Spike pursed his lips

“You thinking what I’m thinking mate?”

Angel nodded

“Yeah, I’ll call Cordy, you find the others and get them back here.”

All four turned as Buffy pushed through the front doors leading Giles and Olivia and effortlessly carrying three heavy looking pieces of luggage

“Welcome to the Monster Motel where your every nightmare is catered for and every demonic wish granted.” 

She stopped as she caught sight of Spike and Angel

“Hey guys!”

Her face lost its smile and her brows drew together as she saw the looks on their faces

“Oh crap. Ok, what is it and how do I kill it?”

Spike grinned with pride and moved to her side to take the luggage from her and plant a kiss on her mouth

“There’s my girl. How do you feel about role play?”  
“Huh?”

Wesley swayed slightly as Cordelia dropped another prettily wrapped parcel on top of the four already in his arms and peered uncertainly over the top.

“Cordelia, I can’t see anything.”  
“Stop whining and follow me, bag boy.”

He tried again to peer over the top of the parcels but only succeeded in toppling the one Cordelia had just placed in his arms. He groaned as it began to fall and muttered some very naughty words only to blush when the parcel was caught and Willow’s face grinned cheekily at him

“You kiss your mother with that mouth? Wesley!”   
“I apologise, Willow, I would never have used that language if I’d known you were there.”

The redhead beamed back at him and laughed delightedly at the mortified look on his face

“Relax, I share a house with the big bad remember? Spike’s not really down with the whole not cussing thing. He more about the turning the air blue and my face red school of communication.”

Wesley smiled uncertainly at her 

“Even so, That’s no excuse for my own unforgivable lapse……”

He broke off as Cordelia and Dawn rejoined them with grim faces

“Stop wittering, Wes, we’ve got a situation and we need to get home.”

Cordelia tucked her hair behind her ears and gripped Dawn’s arm as she marched off snapping

“The one day I get your butt out of the office and into the mall and the forces of darkness decide to throw a blood and guts fest. I swear, those demons know just when my life is going well and then they all get together in their scummy little crypts and do their little dark mojos and piss all over it.”

She broke off to glare at a rather large lady in a violent green pantsuit

“Lady, get your wobbly ass outta my way. Some of us have places to go and worlds to save, ok?”

She ignored the gasp of outrage and stomped past the woman hissing under her breath

“Humans.” 

Willow followed in her friend’s wake and smiled apologetically at the woman as she passed, she had a very uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach and was not looking forward to whatever was waiting for them back at the hotel. Wesley followed Willow and watched her bum wiggle as she scuttled after Cordelia. He wasn’t really thinking anything much.

Olivia stared around her in astonishment at the people groped around the wide table and was seriously starting to regret agreeing to accompany Giles on his break to see his family. They all spoke together calmly and with no hint of nervousness as they discussed the best way of breaking into a demon stronghold and releasing an estimated fifty human women from their enforced captivity. She shook her head and felt her heart clench with fear, they looked so young.

Giles stepped back and eyed his comrades

“Well, the obvious thing to do would be to infiltrate the get together and then work from the inside to subvert and distract until the rest of the team got into place.”

He looked at Angel and Spike

“Unfortunately the only vampires amongst us are entirely too well known throughout the underworld circles and its almost certain they would be spotted the moment they entered the grounds.”

Buffy nodded as Spike opened his mouth to protest

“He’s right sweetie. We can’t take any chances. You and Angel have to play back up on this.”  
“Slayer, if you think for one minute I’m lettin’ you and the ‘Bit go in there without me, you’ve lost your tiny blonde mind.”

Spike’s eyes flashed gold and Olivia jumped as his face rippled and fangs extended from his upper teeth. Buffy looked unconcerned and leaned against his side rubbing her forehead gently over his until his human face reappeared

“Honey, you’re not letting me do anything. It’s my choice and our best chance of success is if you and Broody Boy come steaming to the rescue when the balloon goes up.”

She lifted her face to his and kissed him sweetly

“We’ll be ok.”

Spike looked unconvinced

“Angel, say something.”

The dark haired vampire looked unhappily at Cordelia as she sat at his side

“I think Spike’s right. I don’t want you going in there without me.”

His hand came out to cover hers and the seer bestowed a smile of surpassing sweetness on him and then said

“I know. I’m going anyway.”

Angel blinked at her as she continued

“Just because we’re dating doesn’t mean I’ve given up being who I am. There’s hostages to save and vamps to dust and I’m gonna do whatever it takes to finish them.”

She exchanged a long look with Buffy and then glanced around the table at the other girls

“We go in without the souly ones. Agreed?”

The girls nodded firmly. Buffy grinned and stood up

“Ok, so lets make with the wenchiness. Four hours till sundown and a lot of makeovering to do.”

She turned away from the table and then paused

“Olivia, I know you were probably expecting egg nog and festive cheer but you wanna give us a hand? We’ll get with the holiday programme later.”

The Englishwoman threw a questioning glance at Giles and he smiled apologetically

“It might be for the best. We have some things to thrash out here.”

She nodded and followed the young women up the stairs. Gunn watched as Fred smiled and linked arms with the older woman murmuring reassuringly as they disappeared from sight and then turned back to the men around the table

“Ok. English guy, hit us with the plan.”

Giles picked up a book from the table and glanced down at the pages briefly before looking up

“From what I can tell this has been going on for at least two centuries. The Master of Ceremonies, Luke Lissack, was a drunkard and a wastrel who was busy pissing his inheritance up the wall when he fell victim to a vampire attack. He’s a social creature and has gathered many followers around him through the years, partly due to his insistence that the eighteenth century never ended and life is one unending debauchery of wenching and alcohol. It mentions in the Watcher’s Diaries his penchant for abducting young women and forcing them to dress and act as servant girls for the evening for himself and whoever he has gathered around him at the time and then at the height of the evening’s festivities the women are then feasted upon and abused in the most horrific manner. The Council has tried to put a stop to his activities a number of times but, thanks mainly to his cleverness in rarely using the same venue twice, they’ve never been able to apprehend him.”

He paused and reached down for a glass of water and took a brief sip before continuing with a pained expression

“We have only one young woman on record who survived a night with him and she was so traumatised, physically and mentally, that she never managed a coherent sentence again. She eventually died fifteen years later after spending the last ten years of her life heavily sedated to stop her unrelenting screams and self harm.”

Xander and Gunn winced and swallowed meeting each other’s eyes grimly. Giles continued

“Lissack is a misogynist and also has very little tolerance of anyone outside the white race. He is, unfortunately, a product of his time.” 

Giles sat down

“If we attack tonight are best chance is to have people in place inside. Wesley has a suggestion.”

He nodded to the younger man and Wesley took his cue and stood up, clearing his throat nervously, and well aware his idea was about to go down like a cup of cold sick with practically every man at the table.

“Instead of sending the girls in to masquerade as captives to allow the attack to commence I believe our best course of action is to ensure they are in place from the beginning of the evening…..”

He halted as pandemonium broke out and everyone started shouting at once. Giles stood and banged on the table with his book 

“Enough! Allow him to finish.”

His eyes narrowed as Xander opened his mouth in protest

“Xander, sit down.”

The male Scooby sank down onto his seat and clenched his fists tightly as Wesley nodded and continued

“Thank you, Giles. As I was saying. The ladies should be in place from the start of the entertainment and should be seen to be the clear possessions of vampires.”

This time he stalled the angry shouting himself

“Let me finish.”

Angel placed a hand on Spike’s tense arm and said slowly

“Go on.”

Wesley took a deep breath

“I know of a charm, a spell really, that when cast can disguise the heartbeat and scent of a human. With a little adjustment I believe myself and Giles would be able to cast the spell to give us the appearance of vampires. We would go in and allow the demons to believe that we are merely there for the festivities all the while getting ready to attack and rescue the hostages.”

He cleared his throat

“I believe I will also be able to cast a glamour on Gunn for the evening to change his appearance into that of a white man. Unfortunately, I will only be able to maintain the façade for a few hours and only on one person, so that still leaves you and Spike outside Angel.”

The dark haired vampire nodded slowly

“Ok. I don’t like it but ok.”

He silenced Spike with a quick gesture

“Who gets paired with who?”

Wesley reached down to the floor and picked up a notepad

“I thought Gunn and Fred and Xander and Anya would be together obviously. Dawn and Connor together, if only because it might look strange if Connor were paired with one of the older girls.”

He paused as Spike growled deeply but when the blonde vampire didn’t speak continued

“Giles with Buffy and Cordelia with myself.”

Angel frowned

“What about Willow?”

Wesley shifted nervously 

“I rather thought it might be better if she were to remain outside with yourselves and Lorne.”

Spike snorted

“I’ll just bet you did. Keep your own woman safe and let ours run all the risks, you bastard.”

He jumped up and Angel and Connor moved quickly to stop him leaping the table and taking Wesley to the floor

“I…I assure you that was never……”

Spike bucked and strained against the hands holding him

“Bollocks! We all know how you feel about her. You stink of want whenever she’s in the room.”  
“Spike, I……”

The vampire howled with fury and managed to shake Connor off and slide across the table surface taking Angel with him. He wrenched free off his grandsire and slammed the young Englishman up against the wall ignoring the pain in his head as the chip went off

“You git! They’re my girls you’re playin’ with and if you get them hurt with this pathetic fuckin’ plan of yours, I’ll kill you.”

He was dragged abruptly backwards as Gunn and Angel wrestled him to the floor and Xander sat on his chest

“Spike! Spike, you spineless loser look at me!”

Spike stopped struggling for a minute and glared up into Xander’s flushed face

“Listen to me. I don’t want the girls to be in there anymore than you do but Wes is right. Someone has to stay behind and it can’t be Buffy or Cordy, we need the superpower thing. Dawn will be safe with Connor and Gunn and I have to be with Anya and Fred, otherwise it won’t look real. It has to be Willow.”

Spike tensed again and then sagged and lay back staring up at the ceiling

“Can’t just let them go in there, whelp. They need me.”

Xander shook his head 

“No, they need us. And that’s exactly what they’re going to have.”

He watched Spike’s face and then nodded to Angel and Gunn

“Let him up.”

The two other men moved hesitantly off Spike’s arms and Xander pulled him to his feet. He took Spike’ arm when the vampire would have moved off

“I promise you, Spike, I won’t let anything happen to them. They’re my girls too.”

They all turned as a hesitant voice said

“Am I interrupting?”

Olivia stood in the doorway twisting her hands together nervously. Giles forced a smile onto his face and moved across to her

“Of course not. What is it?”

She eyed the tense group behind him

“Buffy said to remind you all to find some appropriate clothes. The girl’s costumes have arrived.” 

Giles nodded

“Of course. Was there anything else?”

She shook her head and then blurted

“I heard what you were arguing about. I may have a solution.”

They listened intently as she spoke and Spike broke into a wide grin

“Luv, I may have to kiss you.”

Giles glared at him and put a protective arm around the woman’s shoulders

“Thank you, Spike. That won’t be necessary.”

He looked at Wesley

“Will it work?”

The younger man eyed the vampire

“Yes, I believe it will.”

Xander grinned

“Ok, I’ll get the stuff and Gunn you grab the high fallutin’ togs, for tonight we strike a blow for girlpower!”

He struck a fist triumphantly in the air and paused as they all stared at him 

“What?”

Spike spoke for them all

“Pillock.”

There was a long tense silence as the six girls descended the staircase as the sun set, Xander’s eyes bugged from his head and he whistled

“Damn!”

Gunn nodded and ran his eyes up and down Fred’s slender body and came to an abrupt halt at her conspicuously overflowing breasts

“Fred, what the hell are they?”

The slender Texan jumped as her boyfriend bellowed at her and whipped his jacket off to cover her exposed bosom

“Cordy did it. Don’t y’all think they’re amazing?”

She twisted slightly to stare down in awe at the two fleshy mounds where normally only a straight path to her feet existed. Gunn swallowed

“No, now get your butt upstairs and finish puttin’ your damn clothes on.”

Fred’s eyes clouded

“I have. Don’t you like it?”

Her lips trembled with hurt and she stepped back to twirl. Gunn started to breath heavily

“Fred, I warning you…….”

Spike pushed past him

“Dawn, get the hell upstairs and get covered up! Slayer, what the hell are you playin’ at, lettin’ her go around dressed like that?”

Dawn dodged his outstretched hands and glided with a twitch of her long skirts to Connor’s side

“Shut up, Spike. Connor likes it, don’t you?”

Connor stared in hypnotised fascination at her abundant cleavage and tiny waist and nodded. Spike growled

“Get your eyes on her face, tosser.”

He stared down into shining blue eyes

“Hey, fine sir, wanna chase me round a table and sit me on your lap?”

Tendrils of fine blonde hair escaped a white mobcap and Buffy struck a saucy pose with her hands on her hips

“You can pinch my butt if you want as well.”

Spike opened and closed his mouth several times, finally croaking

“I’ll do more than squeeze your arse if you don’t behave.”

He stared around at the girls

“Christ, you lot should be illegal.”

Six serving wenches beamed back at him and winked saucily. Willow grinned

“We practiced that. Wanna see us pretend to fall out of our tops?”

Several sets of eyes lit up like pinball machines. She backed away and raised her hands nervously

“Joking. Just joking.”

She squeaked as she trod on someone’s foot and was grabbed in strong arms

“Ooops. Sorry, I ……”

She twisted her head round to look at her saviour and met Wesley’s eyes. Her breath caught as she turned all the way round in his arms and looked him over from head to toe. The man holding her firmly against him was nothing like the slightly nervous man she was familiar with. He stood tall and dark in an old fashioned evening costume that stretched tightly over his shoulders and hung flat against his surprisingly broad chest.

“We…we…Wesley?”

He grinned down at her rakishly and gently set her back on her feet. She gasped as he bowed and raised her hand his lips

“M’lady.”

His straightened and took her arm to lead her, still eyeing him in disbelief, back to the others

“Well, you all look the part at least.”

He glanced at Spike

“Olivia did a good job on your hair.”

The vampire raised a hand self-consciously to his newly brown hair

“Yeah, well don’t get too used to it. Goes back to normal the first chance I get.”

He was still smarting over the hysterical laughter of the others when they had first seen him with the new colour

“You think the spell will hide the smell of the dye?”

Wesley nodded

“Yes. When you put your contacts in it should completely alter your appearance and no-one should connect you with the vampire Spike until its too late.”

Spike grinned and turned as Giles said

“Right, let’s go shall we?”

Spike held Wesley back when the others moved off and the human looked enquiringly at him

“Look, mate, I just wanted to say sorry about earlier.”

He nodded to where Buffy, Anya, Dawn and Willow stood laughing with Cordy and Fred, comparing dresses and bosom sizes

“Those four chits mean a lot to me an’ it was drivin’ me mad thinkin’ of ‘em goin’ in there without me.”

Wesley nodded

“I understand. I hope you don’t think that I intentionally kept Willow from the fray originally?”

Spike grinned

“Be amazed if you didn’t mate. S’what I’d have done in your shoes.”

He strode off leaving Wesley gaping after him. The ex-watcher closed his mouth with a snap as Willow grinned at him and followed Buffy out of the door. His eyes narrowed and he walked after her thoughtfully seeing again her wide eyes when she fell against him. He grinned and began to whistle as the door shut behind him, maybe things weren’t so hopeless after all.

End Part 2.

The next ep has them together, I promise! Stay tuned!


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Didn’t We Love? (3/3)  
Author: Karen  
Pairing: Wesley/Willow some refs A/C, S/B, A/X, D/C, W/T.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. All characters that do not appear in the shows or in the comics and novels are mine the rest belong to the almighty Mr Whedon. The story’s mine too!  
Synopsis: Sequel to ‘She Only Gets That Way With Me’  
Rating: PG 13  
Spoilers: Set Xmas Season Seven, so some.  
Feedback: Yes, please.   
Author’s note: Ok, I know it’s been a long road getting here and I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who’s stuck with. This was a lot more difficult than I thought and I want to say here and now that if I hadn’t promised my favourite German chick, INA, a W/W fic I’d have given up halfway through part one. So blame Ina if it’s crap. Hopefully I got the characters at least somewhat recognisable and if I didn’t you have my word that this is the LAST time I attempt this ‘ship. I swear. Thanks again to everyone who kept badgering and I hope you like it. 

Dedications: Ina and Mel, right there when it counted and both falling over themselves to convince me it was good. THANKS GUYS!!! To the members of my new list, the batpack, thanks for joining people. I’ve made an arse of myself with this fic so the way is now clear for you to all post and stun us with your brilliance. Jen, still love and need you! I promise no more playing away; from now on I will devote myself morning, noon and night to ‘Lockdown’ and ‘OTNH’. Good little scribbler that’s me! Not distracto girl any more. Completely focused. Ahem. Although I did have this one idea………JOKE!!

Part 3.

Buffy eyed Wesley as he murmured under his breath and weaved mystic patterns through the air. Or he could have been giving directions. What did she know from casting spells?

“Does he know what he’s doing?”

Cordelia leaned up against Angel’s car and adjusted the stake that she had just slipped into her stocking top. Satisfied it was as comfortable as she could get it she let her skirt fall and stood up giving Angel an eye, not to mention crotch, popping view of her cleavage

“Sure, he’s a whiz with the little spells. It’ll hold out long enough.”

She shook out her skirt and twirled

“Ok, looking defenceless and sleazy enough for ya?”

Angel couldn’t help but smile as the two most dangerous women of his acquaintance did their best to look small and harmless and completely and utterly failed. Buffy still had the ‘come bite me and I’ll stake you’ look in her eye and Cordelia positively radiated vibes of ‘touch my ass and I’ll kick yours’. He sighed

“Not exactly. Your eyes need to look at the floor and your shoulders need to be……slumped. You know, submissive.”

The two girls exchanged glances and Buffy said in genuine confusion

“How do we do that?”

Spike wandered up and joined Angel in looking at the two girls. Both stood with hands on their skirted hips and frowns on their faces, glaring up at the dark haired vamp

“Oh yeah, they have me fooled. Never seen such obvious damsels in distress.”

Buffy switched her glare to her lover

“Bite me, honey.”

They all turned as Wesley said the last word of the incantation with a triumphant exclamation and the human men all abruptly took on a vampire visage. Buffy looked at Xander and took an unconscious step back

“Shit!”

Connor turned to Dawn and smiled at her reassuringly only to frown as she stepped hurriedly away from him in surprise. He reached out a hand to her and Spike hurriedly stepped up, slapping it away

“Leave her.”

Connor pushed Spike’s hand away in frustration and snapped

“Get out of my way.”

The vampire rolled his eyes 

“Idiot, she needs to be convincing. She needs to be frightened of you to stay alive, if you get all touchy feely with her now you lose that edge.”

Connor met his eyes and with a pained scowl turned away. Spike reached out and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder

“Just for a few hours, mate, just till we rescue the women. You can make it all right then.”

The teenager nodded and then stalked off to stand by Angel. Spike flashed a reassuring smile at Dawn who still looked a little freaked and then turned and got his first good look at Gunn

“Fuck me!”

The former black man straightened and glared out of ice blue eyes. The spell had altered every recognisable feature and now he stood with glowing white skin under the moonlight and a mane of the thickest yellow hair fell to his shoulders. His mouth was thin and hard with no trace of the soft ness and generosity of spirit that was his trademark. He turned his head and stared down into Fred’s uncertain eyes, the little Texan swallowed and fought the urge to copy Dawn’s instinctive reaction instead reaching up and running her hand over Gunn’s new skin

“Charles?”  
“Yeah, baby, it’s me.”

Fred swallowed again and nodded. Wes cleared his throat

“We’re wasting time. The spell won’t last forever. Angel, Lorne and Olivia once we’re inside get as close as you can to the main building and wait for the signal. Olivia, your priority is to get the hostages out and stay close to Lorne’s side. No heroics please.”

Giles frowned

“Olivia, I would be much happier if you’d just go back to the hotel to wait with Clem. This could get ugly and I…..”

He trailed off as his girlfriend rolled her eyes impatiently and turned to follow Angel as he picked weapons from the trunk of the car

“Be careful Rupert, stay safe.”

She threw a nervous smile over her shoulder and followed the two demons into the shadows. Giles turned as Spike laughed behind him 

“You are a manly man, Rupes, that you are. One word from you and the little missus just falls over herself to do her own thing, don’t she?”

The Watcher glared and stalked off to Cordelia’s side taking her arm roughly and shoving her towards the car

“Hey, not anyone’s meat just yet thank you! Watch with the pushing of the wench!”

Giles ignored her

“Let’s go.”

Five minutes later and they had pulled up outside the location of the festivities. A long low building that nestled in the middle of a group of closed down factories. Buffy gasped and choked back a cry as Spike heaved her out of the car and threw her onto the ground to land on her hands and knees. She yelped as his boot made firm contact with her backside 

“Get up you whiny human bitch.”

She scrambled to her feet as he reached down and snatched hold of the cap on top of her head and yanked her to her feet nearly ripping the hair from her head. Through eyes blurred with tears she saw three other vampires approach and watch her with interest as Spike kept a firm grip on her hair and stretched her tautly up on her toes, bending her spine so her breasts were thrust out on display

“Welcome. Having problems?”

Spike grinned at the new arrivals and gave Buffy a hard, casual shake that made her yelp again

Sorry baby

“No. Just picked up the little blonde tonight and she’s somewhat confused as to who’s in charge here.”

He pulled Buffy against him and finally let go of her hair to twist her arm up her back and cup one breast. She squirmed against him in fury as he flicked his thumb over her nipple and then clamped his fingers around the soft flesh and gave a vicious twist

“She’ll learn.”

Buffy met Cordelia’s eyes as she was dragged over to join them and watched as the Seer’s eyes darkened with fury when Giles’ hand slapped her ass and then squeezed it firmly

“Hey!”

She spun around and slapped him across the face and then cried out as his hand came up and he slapped her back. Giles snatched her arm as she began to fall and gave a sharp tug to bring her against him, he let her struggle and writhe for a moment and then brought one hand up to grip her around the throat

“This one just won’t quit. We’re hoping Lissack can teach her some manners.”

Giles’ bored upper class drawl drew the three vampires to attention

“Of course. If you’d like to come this way?”

Giles nodded and gestured to the rest of his party as the vampires moved off. The girls were dragged over the dusty ground and roughly pushed through a dark doorway to a small room. Buffy squinted her eyes to adjust to the darkness and then they widened as she saw a demon head towards her with what looked like a ……

“Oh hell no! Stay the fuck away from me!”

She backed away two steps and then came hard up against Spike. He looked over her shoulder at the vampire stepping closer with an evil grin and at the object in his hands

“A collar?”  
“The master insists all serving girls wear them.”

Buffy twisted against Spike’s hold, all thoughts of being a good little serving wench flying out the window. Her eyes narrowed

“Come near me with that thing and I’ll……..mmfph!”

Spike slapped a hand over her mouth and gave her arm a sharp twist up her back, he nodded to the demon

“Do it.”

Buffy’s eyes bulged with fury as she felt the vampire’s cold hands around her neck and then she stilled as Spike rubbed his thumb caressingly over her lower back. She felt the tenseness in his body as he allowed the other demon to touch his girl and reminded herself that within the hour she’d have her revenge and all the heinous creatures would be dust on the floor. She gasped for breath as Spike’s hand came away and watched silently as the other girls accepted their collars. Wesley snatched Willow’s from the outstretched hands of a tall, white haired vampire

“I’ll do it.”

He took Willow’s arm and turned her around and brushed her flame red hair from her neck. She bent her head in supplication and he brought the black leather collar around her throat and slowly fastened the buckle. His fingers drifted across her skin and his eyes widened as she shivered in reaction

“Got that one trained well.”

Wesley glared at the admiring vampire as he salaciously eyed the red head 

“Yes, I do. And she’s mine, back off.”

The vampire raised placating hands

“Ok, just saying.”

He turned towards a door on the furthest wall

“Grab their leashes and follow me.”

Willow allowed her eyes to meet Wesley’s for a single moment and was reassured to see the faint disgust in their depths as he took hold of the fine metal chain that dangled from it and pulled gently

“Come on.” 

She obediently fell into step behind him keeping her eyes to the floor and reached out to touch Dawn’s hand as the younger girl was led past her by a grim faced Connor. The tall, brunette turned a pale face towards her and gave Willow a wobbly smile

“It’ll be ok.”

Both girls jumped as they heard a voice laugh behind them

“Don’t count on it.”

Willow was the last to enter the hall and at first was blinded by the light of a thousand flickering torches after the dimness of the room she had just left. The first sensation she had was of noise, what sounded like hundreds of weeping women assailed her ears and she gasped in fear as nearby a woman began to scream. Her eyes adjusted to the light and smoke and she stared around her in disbelief as the hellish version of the eighteenth century came to life before her eyes.

Three huge wooden tables ran the length of the room, each easily stretching for a hundred feet. The place was packed with howling vampires clutching tankards and tormenting the legion of sobbing human women who were forced to serve them. She watched as one woman tugged desperately at her collar as a laughing vampire dragged her slowly to him and then flinched as the woman screamed when she was pulled into his lap and her bodice shredded to reveal her to his gaze. The demon laughed as she fought in panic and the lowered his mouth to her and began to savage the soft flesh. Willow’ eyes filled with sympathetic tears as the woman begged and cried for her release and then was unceremoniously shoved to the floor and kicked in the head to silence her. She turned to meet Buffy’s eyes and the Slayer looked back at her coolly, betraying no emotion, and then slowly grinned bearing her teeth ferally. Willow swallowed and forced her heart to calm at the look in the Slayer’s eyes. She nodded and then turned to Wesley as he pulled sharply on her chain

“Ale.”

Willow bowed her head and then when he released her leash scurried with her head down to the table that ran the width of the hall at the back, filled with large tankards of foamy alcohol. She jumped as Cordelia appeared beside her and whispered

“We can’t make a move yet. The head honcho isn’t here. Watch for the signal.”

The dark haired girl turned and hurried off clutching a pint mug for Giles and Willow shivered as more screams sounded behind her. Her eyes closed for a second and then her famous resolve face crept up on her. She could do this.

An hour later and she wasn’t so sure. The vampire brains behind the organisation had yet to show and she was sick and tired of having to dodge cold, groping hands and drunken lunges with fangs. They had spread out as much as they dared through the hall and so far no one had died but as the seconds ticked by Willow was increasingly uncertain they would make it out with no loss of life. She gasped as she felt cold hands around her waist and then the ground went from under her and she landed in someone’s lap. She started to struggle instinctively and then recognised Wesley’s voice as he spoke over her head and allowed her body to still as she caught sight of the four vampires that were practically drooling over her

“I picked her up a few weeks ago. She’s become quite the favoured pet actually, screamed the crypt down for the first couple of weeks but a few beatings and such like soon put paid to that.”

Willow frowned as his hand came up and gripped her hair, yanking her head back to expose her throat and then her eyes popped as a cool tongue was dragged slowly over her pulse point. She gasped as he raised a hand and slapped her sharply on the rump causing her breasts to jump as she flinched in startled surprise

“She’ll do anything you tell her now. Quite the little puppy aren’t you love?”

Uncertain whether to reply she met his eyes and he smiled down at her cruelly and then pulled her head back again to suckle teasingly at her throat

“That’s the way lovey.”

Willow’s eyes started sightlessly up at the ceiling as his lips and tongue went to work on her flesh and nearly forgotten sensations awoke for the first time since Tara’s death. She gasped as his hand drifted down to her thigh and began to squeeze and caress the flesh there and then she whimpered as Wesley stopped abruptly

“I’m so sorry Willow. I couldn’t think of anything else. They were planning something most unpleasant. Are you alright?”

She shivered again as his lips touched her ear and he breathed the words almost silently into them; she ran a tongue over dry lips and nodded distractedly

“Um…yeah. Sure. No problem.”

Wesley stared into her dazed green eyes and frowned

“Willow? Are you alright?”

He glanced about them to make sure the coast was still relatively clear and risked looping a comforting arm around her waist

“Willow, I’m most dreadfully sorry.”

Willow blinked up at him and came to an abrupt decision. She had been fighting her feelings for days, ever since they had turned up en masse at the hotel and she had caught her first glimpse of Wesley in over a year. The ache over Tara’s death had faded somewhat and although she knew she would never forget the other girl she also knew that she could start to consider moving on. One look at Wesley had confirmed that, as Buffy would say, she’d woken up and smelled the hottie. She was fed up of blushing and stumbling her way around him, she was making her move. 

Ignoring the voice in her head that was questioning quite loudly the wisdom of making her move in a room full of vicious bloodthirsty demons, she raised her hand and brought her mouth to his.

Wesley sucked in a breath as Willow’s mouth met his and then, quite simply, his entire system shut down and he pulled her tightly against him and proceeded to kiss the life right out of her. Willow blinked at the unfamiliar feel of masculine arms around her and then squeaked as his lips returned the kiss with fervour. She gasped as his tongue plunged into her mouth and his hand came up to cradle the back of her head as he increased the pressure of the kiss and simultaneously allowed his hand to creep around her tiny waist and just brush the bottom of her breasts. 

They broke apart with a gasp and stared at each other in amazement and then slowly a smile lifted each of their mouths

“Wow!”

Wes nodded in agreement

“Quite.”

Their heads bent towards each other again and then they both jumped as Anya’s head poked between them

“Hold that thought. Trouble.”

She gestured sharply towards the far end of the room where a tall, burly vampire had strode on to the small raised platform at the end. Willow groaned as she recognised the furiously struggling figure being dragged in his wake. Cordelia! 

It had all been going well for Cordelia right up to the moment some ape had thrust her onto her belly on a table and raised her skirts over her head. She had mastered the whole sub/dom thing tolerably well and had even managed not to empty a tankard of ale over some demon’s head when he had pushed his face into her chest and tried to bite away the front of her dress. However, she drew the line at rape.

As soon as her face hit the table she reached out and snagged a empty pint pot, working blind when the voluminous skirts covered her head she had swung back with the pot and had taken great satisfaction in the loud clang and pained yell when she made contact with her captor’s face. She pushed back from the table and caught Giles’ eye as he had moved forward when she was flanked by two angry vampires

“Bitch! Lissack is going to want to see you.”

With a quick shake of her head she stopped Giles in his tracks and then stomped heavily on one foot and slammed her elbow into the other vamps midsection. She made to run and cried out when Giles grabbed her and then thrust her back at the two injured vampires

“Take her. Maybe she can be used as a lesson to the others.” 

The vamps nodded and dragged Cordelia away screaming curses and obscenities. Giles turned his head and caught the eyes of Spike and Buffy, he nodded. Be ready.

Cordelia continued to scream vile words and phrases as she was forced to her knees in front of the master of ceremonies. She watched as the man, who topped Angel by a good four inches and outweighed him twice over, accepted a birch switch from a minion. Her eyes narrowed as he grinned down at her

“Your master thinks you need to be taught a lesson, girl. Get over the end of the table and raise your skirts. Let the other women see what they can expect if they misbehave.”

Cordelia gasped as she was raised to her feet and thrown into his arms. On the side that faced away from her audience she began to inch up her skirt to access her stake. Her face screwed up in disgust as she caught a whiff of his odour

“God, you people can use soap, you know. They had it way back in the day.”

The massive vampire snarled and pulled her head back with her hair

“You’ll beg me for death you little whore.”

Cordy gave a wide smile as her fingers closed on her stake and her other leg shot up and buried her knee unerringly in his groin

“I don’t think so. I’m not so much with the begging. I’m more your search and destroy type of gal.”

The hall froze as he bent over mouth wide open in a soundless scream. Cordy scowled with disgust as she wrapped her fingers in his hair and pulled him up to a standing position. Her hand thumped solidly into his chest and as he began to disintegrate around the wooden stake she smiled again and said with consummate satisfaction

“Girl power.”

She turned around and eyed the vampires frozen in shock behind her

“Easy mark.”

Two puffs of air later and it was all over. She turned as she heard a thump and saw Buffy land on the middle trestle table and call out

“Ok, all wenches to the back of the hall and all bloodthirsty fiends to the front. Gunn call in Angel. Wes, drop the spell.”

Buffy reached under her dress and pulled out Mr Pointy in one hand and a short handled axe in the other. She glared around her at the still stunned room

“Hello? Slayer in da house? Run in screaming panic?”

She sighed

“Let me help you out.”

She flipped Mr Pointy in the air and caught it by the sharp tip and then in one continuous motion threw the stake through the air to slam home in the chest of a vampire who had been most persistent in his groping. Anya bent and grabbed the stake as it clattered to the floor and threw it back to the Slayer yelling

“I’m fairly sure I can use my powers if people start wishing.”

Buffy grinned

“Oh this is going to be fun.” 

When Olivia entered the hall a few seconds later, hard on Angel’s heels, it was to scene of pure unadulterated mayhem. She caught glimpses of Buffy and Willow laughing as they double-teamed a howling group of six vampires and impaled them on a burning wooden beam. To her left Anya stood with the newly freed hostages

“Is that the one that hurt you?”

A young brunette with a black eye cowered as her former master ran past in pursuit of Dawn

“Make a wish.”

The vengeance demon bent to listen to the girl’s whisper and then nodded

“Ooo, I haven’t done that in a while. Good choice.”

Olivia’s eyes almost fell out of her sockets as the vampire ground to a halt and clutched the front of his pants. It didn’t do him any good, however, when the demon’s genitalia abruptly exploded. Anya laughed at the look on his face as the damage quickly repaired itself and then the same thing happened again. And again.

“That one gets me every time. Who’s next?”

Olivia lost sight of the demon as clamouring young girls surrounded her and then her attention was diverted to Fred as she was backed up into a corner by three snarling vampires. Olivia noticed the young Texan didn’t seem unduly worried and then saw why. Angel raced past clutching a stake and yelled 

“Fred! Heads up!”

The slender girl snatched the heavy black water gun out of the air and grinned sweetly

“Reach for the sky boys.”

She depressed the trigger and a powerful stream of blessed water shot out. Fred ignored the screams of agony and calmly blinded all three and then unhurriedly took her stake from her belt and staked them. She shouldered her water gun and blew on the tip of her stake as she went to Gunn’s side as he fought six demons by himself and then repeated her success with the water gun. Gunn snickered as the vampire’s clutched their burning faces and heads and dropped a loving kiss on Fred’s upturned forehead

“Hey baby.”

Giles and Wesley worked side by side as they ducked and fought with a horde of furiously angry demons. They quickly found a rhythm of using Wesley for the set up and as he ducked a swing Giles would rear up plunge a stake into the vampire’s heart. Giles panted as he worked

“Saw you with Willow.” Duck, swing and stab “I hope you know what you’re doing.” duck, swing, stab and punch “ She’s a very special girl” duck, stab “ I’d hate to see her hurt.”

Wesley grunted as he caught a clip to the jaw and then rammed a stake home

“She’s not going to be hurt.” Duck, stab and kick “Anyway, she approached me!” Stab, flush red, gloat and punch “She’s a grown woman and she can…” Stab, stab, stab “Make up her own mind.” Stab.

They straightened and glared about them as the last of their foes burst into a screaming cloud of dust. Giles glanced over the room as they gasped for breath and then rolled his eyes

“Oh for heaven’s sake.”

Wesley followed his gaze and blinked as he saw Dawn playing a game of hide and seek with a snarling demon and giggling as he slashed through the air with sharp claws. Giles started forward with a grim look on his face

“No matter how many times I tell that girl not to play with her kill she just never listens.”

He leaned backwards as a vampire jumped from a nearby table and lunged for him, without missing a step his arm shot out and turned the demon into dust before he hit the floor

“Not just now thank you.”

Wesley nodded to Angel as they passed, heading for their respective women

“Angel.”

The dark haired vampire gave a brief grin as he caught a fleeing vampire by the collar and stabbed him economically with his stake

“Wes. Seen Spike?”

The Englishman waved towards the front of the hall

“I believe he and Buffy are bowling.”

Angel looked to the front of the hall where Buffy had herded several vampires into a corner and Spike was spinning a screaming vampire in a tight circle. He let go with a yell and the vampire crashed into his buddies taking them all to the floor

“Strike!”

Buffy whistled in admiration as she waded in and stabbed downwards into the confused and dazed mass on the floor

“Good shot, sweetie.”

Spike grinned as he grabbed an escapee from the pile and briskly tore his head off his shoulders

“It’s a gift. Where’s Dawn?”

Buffy stood up, brushing hair from her eyes, and glanced around

“She’s playing with Connor.”

Spike looked over and saw the two teens weaving gracefully through a group of five vampires and popping up every now and then to grin cheerfully and stake a vampire. Dawn saw her sister looking and waved cheerfully before staking yet another vamp

“I think we’re winning!”

Spike rolled his eyes at the words and indicated the dust heavy air in the hall with a flick of his wrist

“Ya think?”

He looped an arm around Buffy’s shoulders and they made their way casually through the hall pausing to watch a vampire stuck trying to suck his own dick. Spike raised his eyebrows

“Now there’s something you don’t see everyday.”

Buffy grinned as she bent down and met the frantically rolling eyes of the vampire

“Bet it doesn’t feel so good now, huh?”

She straightened and grinned at her man

“Anya’s work. She’s a master.”

Spike glanced over his shoulder as they wandered off

“That she is, pet, that she is.”

Cordelia and Willow were facing down the last remaining large group of vampires

“Look, guys, I’m sure we can be reasonable about this. Let’s just all take a minute and cool off.”

Cordelia sniggered at Willow’s words and then laughed outright as she saw the bored look on her friend’s face

“Does that ever work?”

Willow shook her head and shrugged apologetically

“Nope but it’s the closest I get to pleading for my life these days. I feel bad if I don’t give them something before I kill ‘em.”

She twisted and sent a stake unerringly into a chest and smiled at Cordy as she carried through on her move and kicked one dainty foot into a bumpy face

“Spike’s been giving me lessons.”

Cordelia nodded approvingly 

“It shows. Hi sweetie!”

Angel smiled lovingly as he staked a vampire in the back

“Hi. You ok?”

Cordelia ducked a snarling approach and staked the demon as he shot past her towards one of the main tables

“Yeah, turned out the boy genius who thought all this up was nothing but a big bag of wind. Took him out with a knee to the balls.”

She laughed as Angel pulled her to him with one hand and staked another demon with the other. The dark haired vampire bent his head and kissed her thoroughly

“That’s my girl.”  
“Um, guys? A little help here?”

They both turned towards Willow as she rolled over a table in a flurry of skirts and dodged the three vampires reaching for her. Angel took a step forward and then Wesley brushed past him

“As you were Angel, I have the matter in hand.”

The younger man snatched up a chair and smashed it hurriedly against the floor and then lunged forward to impale two of the three vampires attacking Willow on it’s jagged legs. As the third demon instinctively turned towards the new threat Willow lunged across the table and stabbed him in the back. She grinned and fluttered her eyelashes at Wesley

“My hero.”

He slid across the table to her in a move to rival Errol Flynn and swept her into his arms in true swashbuckling fashion

“I believe we have unfinished business?”

Willow blinked and then wound her arms around his neck and pulled his face to hers

“I believe we do.”

Dawn rolled her eyes as she marched past with Connor

“Guys, get a room!” 

Xander moved across to Anya and kissed her on the cheek gently

“And how’s my favourite demon. Still haven’t lost your touch I see?”

He watched with interest as the vampire with the incredible exploding penis screamed and clutched at himself again. His wife giggled as she watched the demon’s anguished face and then pointed proudly to a vampire writhing on the floor as he repeatedly impaled his asshole on a discarded stake

“Look what I did!”

Xander winced at the demon’s anguished screams

“That’s nice honey.”

They turned as Spike and Buffy joined them

“Oh good job, Ahn.”

Anya nodded proudly at Buffy’s approving tone

“All my own work.”

Spike eyed the few demons left, all of them under some kind of curse from the vengeance demon

“It shows, luv. What are we going to do with them?”

Buffy looked around appraisingly and took a quick mental tally of her friends

“Well, everyone’s ok and we really need to get the hostages out of here and to a hospital so I vote we leave them here to suffer horribly until we get Christmas out of the way and then I come back here to finish them off.”

Spike looked surprised at the vindictive tone

“Sweet, don’t you want to put them out of their misery?”

Buffy shook her head and said emphatically

“Hell, no. Besides Anya worked so hard, it’s a shame to ruin it all now.”

Anya looked gratified at the comment

“Thank you Buffy.”

The Slayer nodded 

“Welcome. Ok, lets get everyone out of here. Dawn, shut your eyes! You are SO too young to be seeing that.”

The youngest member of the Scoobs grinned as she joined her sister and Spike and the latter pulled her to his side and kissed the top of her head

“Really? Well in that case you might wanna have a word with Willow, she and Wesley are practically going at it on the floor over there.”

Four heads swung towards the wall and four jaws dropped as they saw Willow’s leg wave briefly above the table before drifting to the floor once more

“Willow!”

Xander glanced at Buffy and said plaintively

“I second that emotion. That’s an image that has to be filed under ‘Things Never, Ever To Be Remembered’. I may go blind.”

Spike reached out and snagged Anya and pulled three of his girls into a strong embrace and watched the fourth get kissed breathless and said with satisfaction

“Finally.”

End Part 3.

Ok, this damn fic just won’t die. There is one more part but it will be very short as it’s more of an epilogue and this part over ran hugely. I apologise if you’re as sick of this story as I am and would encourage you not to read the next part as it’s not going to get any better. To the few people who are still retaining an interest in this fic, the next ep is absolutely, one hundred percent, positively the last. And I’ll thank you never to bring up Willow and Wesley in the same breath to me again. INA.


	4. Epilogue

Title: Didn’t We Love? Epilogue.  
Author: Karen  
Pairing: Wesley/Willow  
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. All characters that do not appear in the shows or in the comics and novels are mine the rest belong to the almighty Mr Whedon. The story’s mine too!  
Synopsis: Sequel to ‘She Only Gets That Way With Me’  
Rating: NC 17 (just to be on the safe side, don’t get excited Mel!)  
Spoilers: Set Xmas Season Seven, so some.  
Feedback: Yes, please.   
Author’s note: Ok, it’s over. THANK GOD. Hope you like it.

Dedications: Ina, yes I forgive you. Just. Mel, barely counts as NC17 does it? You better get posting and show me how it’s done! Jen, this is what I’ve been doing when I should have been working on our fics. I know, I know, don’t explode ok? Carlo, thanks for the song, sorry you had to wait so long for it. 

Epilogue.

“Come to bed.”

Willow frowned slightly at the tremble in her voice but managed to keep her hand steady as she reached for Wesley. He frowned at her in the dim light of her room

“Willow, are you sure? You don’t have to rush into anything, it’s only been a few months since…..”

He gestured towards the bedside table where Tara’s picture had been earlier, he frowned as he realised it had been taken down. Willow placed a soft hand over his mouth as he began to speak

“Sssh. Tara’s gone and if I learned anything from losing her it’s that you have to take your happiness where you can find it. I want you and I think I could love you. Do you want me?”

Wesley felt his eyes mist and he nodded unable to speak

“Then come to bed.”

She moved her hands to her shoulders and pushed her robe away, letting it slip down her body. He caught his breath as she stood before him in the moonlight; her naked body a wondrous landscape of shadow and pearly skin. She smiled and he was lost. Slowly they came together and their lips touched hesitantly and then the pent up emotions of the last few days swept over them and they pressed together feverishly stumbling backwards to the bed.

You’re a song  
Written by the hands of God  
Don’t get me wrong cause  
This might sound to you a bit odd  
But you own the place   
Where all my thoughts go hiding  
And right under your clothes   
Is where I find them

Skin brushed against skin and faint sighs sounded in the room as they discovered each other for the first time. Willow threw back her head as Wesley bent his head and nuzzled against her neck

“Wesley.”

Underneath your clothes  
There’s an endless story  
There’s the man I chose  
There’s my territory  
And all the things I deserve  
For being such a good girl, honey

She threaded her fingers through his hair and drew his lips back to hers, revelling in his gentle strength, so different from either Tara or Oz. He was all length and wiry muscle, hard planes and soft lips. She breathed his scent and felt her body rise against him as he skimmed his hands over her.

Because of you  
I forgot the smart ways to lie  
Because of you  
I’m running out of reasons to cry  
When the friends are gone  
When the party’s over  
We will still belong together

Wesley rolled onto his back and brought Willow over so she lay on his front, concerned he might crush her slight body. He sucked in air as her small, soft hands roamed over his chest and her legs fell open either side of his pressing them intimately together

Underneath your clothes   
There’s an endless story  
There’s the man I chose  
There’s my territory  
And all the things I deserve  
For being such a good girl, honey

Willow pressed her lips to his and continued her exploration of the unfamiliar body beneath her. Her eyes stared into the wide ones below her and she slipped him inside her. Twin voices cried out in the velvet silence of the room

I love you more than all that’s on the planet  
Movin’, talkin’, walkin’, breathing  
You know it’s true  
Oh baby, it’s so funny  
You almost don’t believe it  
As every voice is hanging from the silence  
Lamps are hanging from the ceiling  
Like a lady tied to her good manners  
I’m tied up to this feeling

Her head went back and her hair brushed the middle of her back as she began to slowly move upon him. Wesley rested his hands on her hips and then firmly pushed up as she moved forward biting his lip from the pure pleasure of being intimate with someone he cared about in longer than he could remember

Underneath your clothes  
There’s an endless story  
There’s the man I chose  
There’s my territory  
And all the things I deserve  
For being such a good girl, honey

They sighed together as their release washed over them and slowly Willow collapsed on him to be held tightly in his embrace. They lay like that for a long time until finally Wesley brushed his lips lightly over her hair

“We should get some rest. It’s been a long day one way or another and we need to be fresh for the festivities later.”

Willow smiled and snuggled closer, saying sleepily

“’K. Stay with me tonight?”

Wesley smiled at the ceiling and then shifted her slightly to tug the dishevelled covers over their bodies

“For as long as you want me.”

End. (finally!)

Artist : Shakira  
Song: Underneath Your Clothes  
Album: Laundry Service


End file.
